King County Wildlife: Beavers

Beavers - an Introduction

Beavers! Where do we begin? There is already a lot of information on the web about these largest of North American rodents. But the effects of beavers on natural systems vary across the country and across Washington. In addition to providing useful links and information on beaver biology, we wanted to present some information we consider pertinent to beavers in King County.

Currently, King County does not have a "beaver policy." Nor does the County hold any regulatory authority for beaver control. Dealing with any problems caused by beavers is a landowner's responsibility. Things get tricky when a beaver on one person's land causes a change in hydrology that affects another person's property. The best situation that can result is the two (or more) landowners working together towards a solution. More on that later. But first, a refresher on some biology.

General Beaver Life History & Ecology

Beaver basics... The following links provide excellent information about beaver biology and ecology. We recommend taking a look at these web sites.

General Beaver Information A Wildlife Notebook page from Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Natural History of Beavers From chapter 2, "Nature's Hydrologists," in Water: A Natural History by Alice Outwater.

Beavers: Wetlands and Wildlife. This not-for-profit group was created to help people live in harmony with beavers and other wildlife. Check out their "Meet the Beaver" link for biological info.

For questions about this wildlife web site, please contact Jennifer Vanderhoof, Ecologist.

For questions about the Water and Land Resources Website, please contact Fred Bentler, webmaster.

Updated: September 12, 2007